TNG:TCF- The Observer
by CharlieGreene
Summary: After the fight with Shinzon, Charlotte is still picking up the pieces and Data has command over the Enterprise. New friends are made, a wedding takes places, and Data starts to seriously consider his future with Charlotte.
1. Chapter 1

**Here we go, the first two chapters of my newest story. Set after Nemesis, Charlotte is still picking up the pieces and Data has command of the Enterprise. I couldn't think of a better title, but if anyone has any suggestions, go right ahead. Please R/R, NO TROLLING.**

**Oh, and i own nothing.**

* * *

Captain Picard put down his bag for a moment and shook his new first officer's hand. "I trust you'll keep everything in ship-shape while I'm away?"

"I shall do everything in my power to comply with your wishes, Captain."

"I know you will." Picard smiled, picked up his bag and nodded to the crewman at the console. "Energise."

As Picard disappeared in a shimmer of blue light, a twinge of satisfaction ran through Data's circuits, closely followed by a little anxiety. He was now captain of the Enterprise. For one whole month.

It had taken quite a while to persuade Picard to take a holiday. CMO Ally Jenkins had insisted on it, and had actually gone to the extent of contacting Beverly Crusher at Starfleet Medical and Deanna Riker from the USS Titan. Beverly and Deanna, of course, had taken Doctor Jenkins' side, and faced by three stubborn women, Picard had reluctantly agreed. Another half-hearted protest had taken place when he heard how long they meant for him to be away for, but it was quickly smothered.

And now Data had the ship to himself. He had had a command of his own before (even if it was for just a day or two), not to mention the numerous times he had taken the night watch, but this was different. He didn't quite know how or why, but it was. And he liked it.

* * *

As the Bridge doors opened, Data ran through their mission: assisting Somelian trade ships through the sector. Somelians were well-known for their crafting skills, but were not a very technologically advanced race; hence, their ships would often malfunction or break down. Their cargo was particularly important, they had assured the Captain, and needed to be delivered to Mondaran 3 within a specific period of time. So the Enterprise was on hand to make sure everything ran smoothly. Not the most adventurous mission, but still.

Data took his place in the captain's chair and nearly sighed with contentment. "Conn, set a course to the Kolaras system and proceed at warp 6."

There was no answer.

"Conn?" He leaned forward, studying the girl at the conn. "Lieutenant Hope, I gave you an order."

"What?" The girl snapped out of her reverie and frowned. "Sorry Da- I mean, sir. I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

"I said, set course to the Kolaras system and proceed at warp 6."

"Yes sir. Warp 6."

As the Enterprise jumped to warp, Data opened his mouth to remind the girl about the rules regarding daydreaming during shift hours, but stopped himself. Lt. Hope had been very sombre since her double's death a few months ago, and was often prone to getting lost in her own thoughts. It was understandable, considering the circumstances that had preceded it.

* * *

Charlotte tried to clear her mind and focus on her task, but found it to be impossible. Just the fact that she was back in uniform was disconcerting- it gave a sense of finality to the events that had taken places a few months ago. She was no longer living a borrowed life; everything was now hers. She had officially replaced her double, and it bothered her.

It also didn't help that she was purposely avoiding Data, as if by avoiding him she could also avoid the guilt that followed her around like a cloud above her head. Oh, she knew it was illogical to feel guilt over something that she couldn't have prevented. She knew that letting C2 go instead of her had been the more reasonable thing to do. But that didn't make her feel any better.

Charlotte sighed and checked the chronometer on her console. There was two hours left of her shift. She could handle that as long as she stayed out of her own thoughts…


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm detecting four ships in orbit around the planet."

"Sir, we're being hailed."

"On screen." Data stood up as the view screen blinked on, showing a humanoid with dark green skin, black eyes and no ears. "Greetings. I am acting Captain Data of the USS Enterprise."

"Greetings, Captain Data. I am Captain Pirel of the Mochling, Howler, Simble and Great Flight. All four ships belong to me, but the Mochling is my flagship. I assume that you are ready to begin escorting us through the Durani sector?"

"We are, Captain. We also offer any assistance our engineering team can give should any of your ships malfunction, and full use of our medical staff should you need them."

"You are most generous." Pirel smiled. "This could be the start of a good friendship. With your permission, we will get under way immediately."

Data nodded, and the screen blinked off. The four Somelian ships began to move off, and the Enterprise followed closely behind them at impulse power.

Chief Engineer Geordie LaForge looked over from his station. "Captain, the right hand ship, the Great Flight, has a weakness in its coolant assembly."

"Continue to closely monitor all ships."

"Aye sir." Geordie quickly keyed in something and beckoned to an ensign who had just come in to take over. He came up and leaned over the rail next to the tactical console. "Hey, Data, how do you feel about Ensign Smith and Lt. Jacobs' wedding?"

Data snapped out of his commanding position and gazed up at his friend. "What do you mean, Geordie?"

"You will be officiating it, right?"

"That is correct."

"How do you feel about that?"

Data shrugged. "I am not particularly excited. It is an important step in the lives of the crewmembers getting married, and I am but the one who will be officiating the ceremony. I cannot see how it will be exciting to me. It is their day, not mine."

"Yeah, but being able to participate so fully in another person's life- that's gotta make you feel something."

Data paused, analysing any emotions he might be feeling at that moment. "At the moment, I feel nothing. I may feel something as the day draws closer, however."

Geordie nodded, unsatisfied but realising that he wasn't going to get anything else. "Ok, whatever you say."

* * *

Charlotte sidestepped and ducked under Worf's arm as he leaped forward. Without hesitation, she brought both hands in a fist down onto the middle of his back and kicked his feet out from under him, leaping away as he grunted and fell to the ground.

Worf clambered to his feet and retook his fighting stance. "Again."

Charlotte started with her customary pose and advanced on him, ducking his high punch and kicking his low one away. Worf feigned a swing from the right, and she barely had time to avoid the left one before his foot connected with the back of her shin. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her, and instead of toppling over, she threw her whole body backwards and kicked his chin from her new position on her hands. Worf was caught off-guard and barely regained his balance before having to defend himself against a sudden barrage of forward swings. As he reached for her punching arm, Charlotte kneed him in the groin and head-butted him under the chin.

As he fell to his knees, she brought a hand to her head, breathing heavily. Nothing she did was working. She had hoped to work off her anger, not intensify it. Now, seeing Worf on the ground, she wanted to keep fighting, over and over again.

"Get up," she commanded, lightly kicking him and taking her position.

Worf stared up at her, a slight smile on his face. "You used to tire easily. You've been practicing, I see." He leaped up, his pain forgotten, and advanced.

As he swung, she grabbed his arm and bent it back, trying to yank him to the ground, but he swiped at her feet and she fell. More adrenaline- or was it anger?- swept over her, and she concentrated hard, still lying down , as he advance towards her.

Worf stopped short, staring at the space where she had been, unable to comprehend what he had just seen. Before he could process it, a sudden punch to the gut made him double over before the expected blow to his back made him fall.

"What-?" he gasped, winded.

Charlotte stopped to catch her breath. "Sorry."

"You cheated!" Worf clambered to his feet. "You cheated… somehow. You are dishonourable!"

"Oh really?" She stepped forward and punched his face before once more kicking his feet out from under him. Pain shot up her arm, and she growled as she tried to supress it. She had never properly punched a Klingon in the face before, and she never would again.

Worf nursed his nose as he tried to catch his breath. "I take it back. You are a very worthy opponent."

"Really?" Charlotte flexed her hand and was suddenly bombarded by memories of other fights- the aggressive pillow fight after the switch, the arguing, the arm wrestling, the practice session in their room. _Charlotte had been a worthy opponent…_

Worf frowned and stood up. "Why are you crying?"

Charlotte tried to get control of herself but was unable to stop sobbing. "N-never mind."

He approached her gingerly. He had never been faced with a crying female before and was feeling very uncomfortable, but she was his friend. He had to at least try. "Are you injured?"

"Yes, but that's not it."

"What is it then?"

"You w-w-wouldn't unders-s-stand."

He touched her shoulder. "Are you in need of affection?"

Charlotte laughed through her tears and reached for him. "If you insist."

"But I didn't-" Worf looked down at the girl and shifted uncomfortably. He was not an affectionate person and was not experienced in hugging, but he would try. For her. He lightly patted her back and tried not to look too uncomfortable.

"Oh, Worf, everything has changed," Charlotte mumbled into his shoulder, wiping away the last of her tears. "People died, people came back, people did stupid things- you don't realise how difficult it's been. I've been through so much, and I know it's not going stop."

"You have friends. You are not alone."

"You're such a good friend, Worf. Even when you have no idea what to do, you end up saying or doing the right thing. I really appreciate it, you know?"

Worf was flattered. "Well, thank you."

Charlotte pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I think I'll call it a day, ok?"

"Yes," Worf agreed. "You fought extremely well today. I am… proud of you."

Charlotte sighed, satisfied. "Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you."

"Just one thing…"

She turned. "Yeah?"

He frowned, puzzled. "How did you make yourself disappear like that?"

"Oh…" Charlotte bit her lip, embarrassed. "I didn't really 'disappear' as such, it's more like… I turned myself into air and moved to a different location. It's a gift I have; it's hard to explain and no-one is supposed to know about it. Can you keep my secret?" At his look, she hastened to reassure him. "It's not a security risk, I promise!"

He nodded, looking stern. "Alright, but you must make sure it isn't."

"I will." Charlotte flexed her hand again and winced. "I should go to sickbay. You have a hell of a hard head, you know that?"

Worf smirked, and they exited the gym.

* * *

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter :) Worf is my second favorite character (any guesses for the first?) and if not for Data, Charlotte would've ended up with him. As it is i think they have the best chemistry.**

**Please R/R!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone, finally finished the third chapter. **

**A shoutout to Amber Rose Black- Thank you so much for your support, i know i've said it before but i really appriciate everything you've said. Thank you so much :)**

**Not much else to say, except please R/R.**

* * *

Geordie scowled at the readouts, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Mr LaForge, has there been any change in the Great Flight's condition?"

"No sir." He shook his head in irritation. "I just don't like it, that's all. All those ships are tin buckets with propulsion, and pretty leaky buckets at that. They're in such bad condition that I'm sure we'll have to fix something sometime or other, but in the meantime, we're just waiting for something to go wrong."

Data considered his friend's words. "I understand your frustration, Geordie, but I am sure you will agree that we have been on much less interesting missions before."

"Milk-runs, you mean," Geordie muttered.

Data shrugged. "If you like."

Geordie shook his head and changed the subject. "Anyway, are we good for tomorrow night?"

"As far as I know."

"Good. I'm bringing Laura Maxwell- apparently she's quite the card-shark. You should bring Charlotte."

"I will try, but she seems very unwilling to socialise at the moment."

"I know, that's why I want you to bring her." Geordie grinned. "How many times has she dragged you from your work to play poker? Maybe it's time to return the favour."

Data nodded, but whatever he was going to say was cut off as an alarm went off on Geordie's console. At the same moment, the crewmember on tactical called out that they were being hailed.

"On screen," Data said calmly.

The image flickered to life, fuzzy around the edges, alarms sounding in the background. "Enterprise, we are in need of assistance!"

"What appears to be the problem?"

"At the moment we're not sure but there are injured, some seriously. We're not properly equipped to deal with it."

"We will send down a team immediately to assess the damage to your ship and your people."

"Thank-you, Captain." The image cut out, and Data nodded to Geordie, who was muttering about incompetent artists who couldn't identify their own problems.

Geordie left the Bridge, and Data tapped his badge. "Data to Doctor Jenkins: Please assemble a medical team and prepare for transport."

"Acknowledged."

Geordie flashed his torch into the darkness and quickly spotted several Somelians lying on the ground. He called over Doctor Jenkins and motioned to them, and she immediately started to scan them.

"He's got a few third degree burns, but nothing extensive. But his brain…" She went on to the next one and found exactly the same thing. She motioned to a nurse. "I'm taking them guys up. If you find anymore with the same condition, send them up too." She tapped her badge. "Crusher to transporter room 3, six to beam directly to sickbay."

"Acknowledged."

As Jenkins and her patients disappeared, Geordie accessed the computer to find out the extent of the damage. He was joined by the Great Flight's captain, Commander Bo, who wanted to find out exactly what was wrong.

"Well, it's not the coolant assembly, but we should fix that as well while we're here." Geordie frowned. "It looks like parts of the power grid have overloaded, but not enough to cause an explosion. I don't know why you couldn't identify it, or even how it could've happened in the first place. Only extreme carelessness or deliberate sabotage could've done this."

"I should've known," muttered Bo, catching sight of an empty container in a corner.

"What?"

"Oh," Bo looked away, his voice tight. "The crew can be… easily distracted. They seem to forget themselves at times, resulting in mistakes like this."

Geordie raised his eyebrows; He was no Deanna, but it didn't take an empath to realise the Somelian was hiding something. He glanced at the container, but didn't see anything amiss on any spectrum. He shrugged- there would be plenty of time to examine the cargo if necessary. Waving over his team, he pointed out the problems and directed them to the appropriate sections.

"Let's get to work."

* * *

**AN- Not the most interesting chapter, i know, but there is a method to my madness. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi there! Chapter 4 is up and 5 is on it's way. Standard disclaimer applies. Bear in mind that more reviews=better story and faster updates, so please R/R.**

* * *

Ally Jenkins was quickly losing patience. Not that she was naturally calm, but she had been trying for the last half hour to convince the disorientated Somelians to let her treat or even scan them, and she figured she had a reason to be irritated.

"How can I help you if you won't let me find out what's wrong?" she tried to explain once again to a man who was cradling his elbow.

He glared at her with bloodshot eyes. "Leave me alone. I can take care of myself."

"You're hurt. I need to treat you."

"Leave me alone."

"But I need to-"

"Leave me alone!"

Ally gritted her teeth and decided not to press it. Instead, she walked over to where another man was lying down, obviously in pain but also refusing any treatment. The nurse by his side looked worried.

"Still resisting?"

The nurse nodded. "He seems to have some kind of internal injury but he won't let me scan him."

Ally leaned over the man, a bright smile plastered on her face. "You seem to be in pain. Please let me help you."

Despite the man's obviously disorientated state, he was very firm and VERY hostile. "Go away!" he growled, then winced. "We don't need your help."

"Yeah!" called another Somelian. "Send us back to our ship and let us treat ourselves!"

"We can't do that," Ally answered impatiently. "We can treat you quickly, quicker that you could treat yourselves. You need us-"

"We don't need you!" one of them shouted suddenly, shoving aside a nurse and making for the door. "We're going back to our ship!"

The others made noises of agreement and followed his lead, and Ally passed a look to the nurses. There were five Somelians and 6 nurses, counting Ally. Hopefully, it would be enough.

"Wait!" she called, trying to distract them while the nurses filled hyposprays and edged towards the escaping aliens. "You can't just beam back without the captain's permission. I'd have to ask him before letting you go."

The one who had been causing most of the trouble sneered at her, still protectively holding his elbow. "You are mere women; you cannot keep us here for long. All we have to do harm one and the others will comply with our wishes."

"Is that what you think?" Ally's lip curled as if there was a bad smell in the room. The other nurses were in position, and the Somelians were gloating prematurely. _Perfect._ She nodded to the girls, who quickly emptied their hyposprays into four of the Somelians. The one who had been causing most of the trouble stared at his fallen friends, and Ally took advantage of his distraction to give him a partial Vulcan pinch as a nurse tossed her a hypospray.

"Maybe in your culture, mate, but not here," she said with satisfaction, pressing the sedative into his skin and nodding as he fell. She brushed her hands together as if washing them of the whole business and grinned at her subordinates. "Well, that was fun. Now, let's get these guys back up onto the beds." She passed the Somelian who was still on his bed. "Now, are you going to let us treat you or not?"

He nodded mutely.

"Good. Now let's get to work."

* * *

_Thanks for reading, and feel free to check out my other stories. The secret that the Somelians are hiding will be revealed in the next chapter, so stay tuned. Until then, cookies for everyone still reading! - us. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Next chapter. Usual disclaimers apply, please r/r.**

* * *

Geordie looked over Ensign Leroy's shoulder and nodded in satisfaction. "Good work, Ensign. We should be up and running within the hour."

Bo smiled a tight smile. "Your work is much appreciated."

"Commander," a crewmember called out, "I may need your help to familiarise myself with the control setup."

Bo nodded to Geordie and went over to help, and Geordie wandered out to check on someone else. He found his way to first cargo bay, where Ensign Song was working amongst the many crates of valuables. "What've you found?"

"Most of the damage seems to have come from this terminal and the one in the other bays," she said. "Almost every faulty command was sent from the cargo bay controls."

"Now isn't that weird?" he murmured, looking around. "I wonder why that is?"

"Maybe the off-duty crew were mucking about?" she suggested. "Maybe they were drunk. No-one in their right mind could've put in such faulty commands."

Geordie eyed an empty box in the corner of the room, its old-fashioned packing foam scattered around it. "You know, in every place the faulty commands were sent from, there were boxes. Empty cargo crates, just lying there."

Song wrinkled her nose. "Is that important?"

Geordie adjusted the settings in his ocular implants and began studying the boxes. "Commander Bo was acting strangely before, too. He's definitely hiding something. And I think it has something to do with the boxes."

"But they're just boxes. How could they be important?"

"I dunno, but I just have this feeling… wait…" He stopped to examine a crate, his eyes widening. "What the hell is that?"

"What?"

He turned to her, looking grave. "I think we need to examine the cargo."

* * *

Ally nodded in satisfaction as the wound healed and a nurse handed her a chart. "They're progressing well. Most have superficial wounds that will heal in no time."

"I'm sure they'll thank us when they wake up," said the nurse.

"Oh, I don't know, Kristie. They might not like the fact that they were overpowered by women." She rolled her eyes. "The fuss they made!"

Kristie smiled. "They have some very… primitive ways of thinking."

"Do they ever!" Ally finished with her patient and moved on to check on the next one's progress. "You know, apparently this is the first time we've encountered this species before, so I'm going to learn all I can about them. "

"They look pretty straightforward to me."

"I'm sure I saw three hearts and two livers inside that man with the internal injuries, but I might've miscounted." Ally handed the PADD back and picked up another.

"And the man with the sore elbow has 15 toes," Kristie added, checking one of the patient's readouts. "Are we waking them up any time soon?"

"No, keep them sedated until they've all completely healed. I don't want any more trouble than necessary."

Another nurse approached, looking worried. She beckoned Ally over to a scanning machine. "Doctor, you might want to see this."

Ally looked at the readouts and frowned in concern. "What the hell?" She keyed in a few commands and the image magnified. Now alarmed, she accessed the computer next to her and compared the readouts. A grim look settled over her face. She tapped her badge. "Jenkins to Data. I need to talk to you."

At the same time, Geordie had also found something. He tapped his badge, his look practically mirroring Ally's. "LaForge to Data. I need to talk to you."

* * *

**Ohhhh, a cliffhanger. I know, blah, some cliffhanger. What do you think they've found? Stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the wait, guys. I thought the school holidays would give me more time for writing, but you wouldn't believe how busy i was! Anyway, here's Chapter 6- the Somelian's secret is revealed and I'm seriously worried that Charlotte will turn emo if nothing is done about her. Read on, and please R/R._

* * *

"We narrowed down the affected areas and determined where the faulty commands came. Most of them were sent from the cargo bay consoles. We also found a number of empty boxes wherever the commands were sent from, and there was evidence of a party of some sort. It was Ensign Song's comment that really got me thinking, though. She said that no-one in their right mind could've put in such faulty commands. She suggested the Somelians were drunk and messing around at the time, but I thought it was more than that. So I began to examine the empty boxes and the cargo, and… I found traces of Rhuludian."

A stunned silence permeated the room, and then Ally Jenkins spoke up. "I also found traces of the drug in their blood- that would be the reason for their strange disorientation."

"Rhuludian crystals are illegal in all of the systems we know of," said Worf.

"And the charges for smuggling them are high," added Geordie.

Data was silent for a moment, then looked around at them all. "Abusing and smuggling dangerous substances are serious charges, and must be looked into thoroughly. Have Commander Bo and Captain Pirel come aboard for questioning." He turned to Worf. "You and Lt. Vale will take a security team and brief them on what they are looking for; and then wait for my orders."

Abby leaned forward. "And me, sir? What do I do with my patients?"

"Keep them sedated and stand by for further instructions."

"Aye sir."

Data nodded to them all. "Dismissed."

Charlotte slammed her cards down on the table and buried her head in her hands, letting out a huff of frustration. She had decided to teach B4 how to play poker, but was meeting with less success than she had hoped.

She had doled out the cards and stared with a basic 5-card game, but halfway through B4 had become fascinated with the pictures on the cards. No amount of prodding from Charlotte could keep his mind on the game for long. She had given up on poker and started blackjack, but that had much the same result. 'Snap' had kept him occupied for a little longer, but eventually he had gone back to his almost trance-like examination of his cards.

Her patience completely drained, Charlotte gathered up all the cards, snatched away the one he had been holding, stuffed them back in their case, and replaced them in Data's draw. B4's eye's followed her with interest as she paced the room a few times and stopped in front of the violin. She sighed, caressing the strings and humming part of a melody that was stuck in her head.

As Charlotte picked it up and began to play, part of her wanted to slap her herself for choosing such a mournful song. It was bad enough that in the weeks following her double's sacrifice, she had done nothing but curl up with the lights off, listen to sad music and cry. It had taken much concern from Data and many ridiculous threats from Geordie to shift her, and even now she was still hiding herself. No matter how upset she was, she didn't want to go back to _that_. So the reasonable side of her brain told her to put the violin down and go back to her card game; to stop the tear-jerking music that would send her back to the dark caverns of mourning and face up to her responsibilities.

But the other side of her just wanted to keep playing, to drown her sorrows in music that would surely cleanse her soul and wash away the guilt that clung to her despite everything she did to convince herself that she wasn't at fault.

The logical side of her knew that wasn't true. The emotional side of her didn't particularly care.

B4 watched with rapt attention, recording every moment and trying to identify the emotions on her face. He knew that he wasn't as good as his brother at these things, but as he watched the girl's eyes fill with water and her breathing become jerky, he knew that she was extremely unhappy. And for some reason that was unknown to him, he didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

Not bothering to ponder on how an android with no emotions could like or dislike something, he rose from his chair, his normal, blank expression replaced by one of concern as he delved into his brother's memories.

Charlotte was doing her best to control herself, but not surprisingly, as the melody peaked she found she could no longer hold back her tears. The music stopped, and for a moment there was not a sound except for her sobbing. She didn't see B4 leave the table and approach her tentatively, but all of the sudden she found herself wrapped up in somebody's arms, and a voice was saying "Do not cry. It will be alright."

As her sobbing died down (mostly from surprise), she was reminded of another time and place where it had happened before. No matter how dense B4 appeared, he was definitely capable of figuring out the right thing to do. And so Charlotte took comfort, once again, in the arms of B4.

When all was calm, she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Why did you do that?"

B4 blinked, his face once more expressionless. "According to my memory banks, it was the right thing to do."

"What do you mean?" Charlotte had an idea, but she wanted it confirmed.

"It is a pre-recorded course of action."

She nodded, feeling happy and sad at the same time. Data knew her well, but this time around, his 'pre-recorded course of action' hadn't worked the way it was supposed to. She didn't feel any better than she had before. It would take a lot more than a hug to change her state of mind. But for now, it was good enough.

* * *

_Charlotte seems to cry a lot. I know, a genius observation, but i don't know what to do with a mourning character. Oh well, i have time to figure it out, and i have the end to look forward to._

_While i was writing this, I was listening to 'Sad Romance' by Thao Nguyen Xanh, better known simply as 'Sad Violin', so i guess that's what she was playing.  
_

**_Now, if anyone's actually reading this, i have a bone to pick with my readers. At last count, 383 people had read my story but only one was reviewing. You all know that reviews are very important to authors, so i'm a bit disappointed that almost none of you were considerate enough to leave a simple message for me. Even if you don't like the story, i want to hear from you. Maybe even tell me how i could improve. Just say SOMETHING!_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Aaaannndd here's chapter 7. Sorry if it took too long, i've had internet problems and Supanova to contend with. Chapter 8 will follow soon._**

* * *

It took under two days to find and confiscate the Rhuludian from the two ships carrying it. At Captain Pirel's order, Commander Bo, his crew and the crew of the other ship were put in the brig, to be dealt with when they reached Mondaran 3. Captain Pirel himself had had nothing to do with the smuggling, and was disgusted at those who had tried to use his ships in the illegal trade.

In the days following the detailed search of all the ships, Data was surprised to receive many requests to return to Pirel's ship. It turned out that the security teams had discovered that the Somelians on that ship included some of the best artists on the planet, and were quite happy to show off their work. Data approved these requests readily, but it wasn't until Captain Pirel invited him that he decided to visit himself.

Materialising in the small transporter room, he nodded to the bored-looking man at the controls, who waved him through without blinking an eye. He emerged into a corridor and followed the sound of voices into what must have been the main cargo bay, and blinked in surprise. Cargo crates lined the walls, and large tables stood in front of them, laden with jewellery and trinkets and pictures. The artists themselves sat behind the tables, contending with the haggling Starfleet officers and accepting plutonium for their goods. More of the same seemed to fill the other bays. The ship had, essentially, been turned into a market.

"Ah, Captain Data!"

Data turned around to see a beaming Captain Pirel. Shaking the green-skinned man's hand, he started to thank him for the invitation, but was quickly interrupted.

"Now really, Captain, did have to wait for an invitation? You and your crew are very welcome. The artists on my ship are eager to showcase their work. Have you seen any of it yet?"

"I have not."

"Then you should come with me, for I can show you the best of the best."

Data nodded and Pirel beckoned him through the first door.

"This is Jabe," he said, pointed to a green-skinned woman with a wreath of leaves on her head. Beautiful artworks were spread out in front of her, and she smiled up at Data from what he presumed were canvas and paints. "She is one of the greatest painters on her continent. As you can see, her favourite subject is nature."

Data bent down to examine one of the paintings, which depicted a hybrid of woman and tree in a forest setting. "You have an intriguing style," he told her, studying it closely and committing every stroke to memory.

They continued on, examining and praising every artist and their table. Soon they came to the end table, and Pirel beckoned Data closer.

"Now, Gonji," he gestured to the man behind the table, "Is not just the most accomplished jeweller on his continent, but on the whole planet. His pieces are the most sought after, making him one of the richest as well. His apprentices are back on Someli, and they are also extremely talented, but they are nothing to him."

Gonji stood and picked up a necklace of what looked light finely-wrought silver and emeralds. "Now this would make a perfect gift, sir. Or this?" In his other hand appeared a shimmering blue crystal pendant. "An extremely rare crystal from Metabelis 3. For a lady friend, perhaps?"

Data studied them, imagining how pretty Charlotte would look in them, then thought the better of it. He shook his head. "Charlotte does not wear much jewellery."

Disappointed, Gonji replaced the items and sat back down. "As you wish. Perhaps another time, sir?"

Data nodded. "Perhaps."

As they exited the cargo bay, Pirel watched Data with interest. "You are an artificial life-form, correct?"

"That is correct."

"And yet, you freely admit to having a lady friend. How is that possible? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"I do not mind," Data replied, slowing down. "I am quite capable of having friendships with people, especially since the installation of my emotion chip."

"Does that include love?"

"Yes."

"Ah…" Pirel peered at him curiously. "So, who is this 'Charlotte'? Another android like you?"

"Charlotte is a human woman who I have known for quite some time. She was a civilian on board the Enterprise and later became part of the crew."

"And do you… love her?"

Data paused outside the door of the next bay. "She is… special to me. May I ask the nature of these questions?"

Pirel shrugged. "Oh, nothing more than friendly curiosity, I assure you. After all, you are quite a novelty."

Data nodded, satisfied, and they proceeded to the next bay.

* * *

Sometime later, when he had returned to the Enterprise, Data checked up with Geordie, whom he had left on duty.

"So are you coming now?" Geordie asked, magically producing a pack of cards from his pocket.

Data nodded, satisfied that everything was in order, and left Lt. Heeler to the night watch.

"I'm dropping by Laura's cabin to pick her up, ok?" said Geordie as they walked down the corridor. "Are you getting Charlotte?"

"I will try to bring her, but I cannot promise that she will be there."

"She needs to, Data. Just like you did after… you know. I don't care how you get her there- drag her kicking and screaming if you have to, but she needs to come."

Data nodded, and they parted ways.

* * *

Charlotte was looking through a photo album when she heard the door chime. Wanting to be left in peace with her memories, she left it ring a few times before acknowledging it.

Data entered to find her curled up on the couch with the album in her lap, a frown on her face. The frown faded when she saw who it was, and a smile took its place. "Hey, Data. How's it going?"

"'It' is going well. I have come to invite you to play poker."

The smile fell a little. "Oh, Data, I don't feel like going out tonight. Sorry."

Data sat on the couch next to her. "Perhaps I should put it another way. Your presence is _required_ at the poker game."

The smile was completely gone now. "Maybe _I_ should put it another way. I don't want to go."

He looked thoughtful. "Are you absolutely certain that you do not wish to go?"

"That's what I said, isn't it? I just want to spend a quiet evening alone tonight. I don't feel like seeing people."

"Why?"

The frown was back. "Why what?"

"Why do you want to be alone?"

"Because… Because I do, alright?" Charlotte crossed her arms defensively. "I think it make perfect sense to want to be alone with my memories, given the events of the last few months. I'm sure Deanna would agree."

"So, you wish to mourn in solitude, even though it has been many months since her death. You would prefer to isolate yourself from your friends than gain strength from association. You are mistaken- I am sure Deanna would not agree, and neither do I. You must come to the poker game."

Charlotte turned away, lips quivering. "I won't."

For a moment, Data was at a loss, but, remembering Geordie's words, he quickly made a decision. Before Charlotte knew what was happening, Data had scooped her up in his arms and was carrying her to the door.

"What the hell are you doing?! Put me down!" she yelled, struggling and kicking against the unyielding arms.

Although Data had the strength of ten men, once she began struggling it became nearly impossible to keep a hold of her, and he was forced to put her down.

She straightened her clothes and turned to him, scowling and out of breath. "What the hell?!"

Data put on an innocent face. "Geordie told me to get you to the poker game by any means necessary. Since you refused to come by yourself, the only other way to get you there is to carry you." He made a move to pick her up again, but Charlotte skipped out of the way and doubled her scowl.

"You'll do no such thing," she said crossly. "I'll take myself, thank you very much." And, mustering up all the dignity she had left, she stalked out the door with her head held high.

Data stared after her, confused but pleased with his success, and followed her out.

* * *

**_Looks like he took the 'kicking and screaming' thing literally! I am so relieved to be able to dissipate Charlotte's funk, cuz even though she's my character she was really starting to bug me._**

**_BTW, there were 2 Doctor Who references in here- see if you can spot them._**

**_And please review._**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Here you go, two new chapters. No more Emo Charlotte, but lots of laughs and some sad news about Worf.**_

_**Usual disclaimers, please R/R.**_

* * *

As expected, once she got there she began to enjoy herself, just as Geordie had predicted.

"So, Data, did Charlotte give you much trouble?" he asked as they were dealing in another round.

"It was not easy," Data answered, glancing at Charlotte. "I experienced much hostility from her."

"Well, you did pick me up and threaten to carry me here," retorted Charlotte defensively.

Geordie guffawed. "I can't believe you took me literally!"

Charlotte turned on him, scowling. "You!"

"Are we talking or playing?" Worf interrupted, frowning at both of them.

Charlotte shot Geordie one last frosty glare before returning to her cards, and the bling man wiped tears of laughter out of his eyes, grinning. "Boy, that would've been a sight."

They placed their bets, Geordie's girlfriend smirking but hiding her mouth with her cards. Even Data looked slightly amused.

Finally, Charlotte looked up, a faint twinkle in her eyes. "Yes, it would've been." She paused, the corner of her mouth twitching. "I did struggle quite a bit. And I yelled, too. I did a lot of yelling."

Geordie cracked up again, followed by Laura. Finally Charlotte gave in and laughed with them, now seeing the funny side.

Worf eyed Data wearily, hoping there was at least one more sensible person in the room, but soon realised it was too much to ask for. Data's mouth began to twitch, and before long he let out a laugh that rivalled the other three's.

They all stopped for a moment, out of breath and transfixed by the strange sight of the usually staunch android actually laughing. Then Charlotte and Laura began to giggle, and Geordie followed.

The room rang with laughter, cards abandoned, and Worf sighed. He had a feeling that it would be a long night.

When everyone had finally calmed down, Worf threw in two more chips and stared grumpily at all of them. "Now, are we ready to play, or would you prefer to spend the night giggling like little children?"

"Sure, we're ready to play," Geordie said, sounding a little embarrassed.

Charlotte studied the Klingon, who looked like he was in a fouler mood than usual. "Worf, you sound, I dunno, mad." Geordie snorted, but she managed to keep a straight face. It was true that Klingons tended to look and sound permanently grumpy, but this was different. "Are you feeling alright?"

"No," he growled.

"What's wrong?"

He shifted, scowling ferociously. "I must leave soon."

"What, the game? Or…"  
"The ship, right?" Geordie asked soberly.

Worf nodded. "I have delayed it long enough. It is time to face facts- I have responsibilities on Qo'noS, and to put of my leaving any longer would be foolishness."

"That is true," said Data, frowning a little. "One must ask why you have stayed so long already."

"I was enjoying myself." Worf looked away, ashamed. "I have been putting my friendships with the crew before my responsibilities as Ambassador."

Years ago, Charlotte would have begged him to stay, but now she understood the pressure of responsibility. "And how much longer can you stay?"

"A fortnight at the most."

Laura spoke up, perhaps the first time she had actually spoken to the Klingon. "You will be missed."

"Yes." Charlotte smiled sadly. "You friends will miss you sorely, Worf. Perhaps we should give a party- a sort of going-away thing?"

"No." Worf looked appreciatively at her. "No, I don't like parties. But thank you anyway."

"Alright." They were all silent for a moment, then Charlotte threw in two more chips and grinned. "Not exactly a party, but I'll raise you twenty."

Worf smiled a little, and the rest of them chuckled before seriously starting to play.


	9. Chapter 9

The morning of the wedding was busy, for more than the bride and groom. There was excitement at every station for those who were helping to organise it, and there were last minute rushes to the replicators to find wedding gifts for those who suddenly realised that the day was upon them.

The wedding itself was to take place in the afternoon, and most of the crew were invited. Data was to be the celebrant in place of Captain Picard, and Charlotte had found him running over the speech in his head and urged him practice it out loud so that she could hear it herself.

He was in the middle of it when the message came over the comm. "Captain, there's a message coming in for you from the Great Flight."

"Transfer it to the screen in my quarters," he answered, getting up and going to his console.

The screen blinked on to show the face of Captain Pirel. "Captain Data."

"Captain Pirel. What can I do for you?"

"Captain, I hear there is to be a wedding on board."

"That is correct. How did you find out?"

The green-skinned man chuckled. "Well, just a moment ago I received an invitation from someone who I presume to be the bride. I wanted to check with you before I accepted it."

"The bride should have come to me first, and I will speak to her about it, but yes. You may attend."

"Thank you, Captain. I will be ready for transport at 1550 hours."

"I will send someone to meet you."

The screen blinked off, and they continued with the rehearsal.

* * *

At 1550 hours, the doors to cargo bay 3 opened and Captain Pirel walked in, dressed impeccably, and scanned the room until he found who he was looking for.

Data and Charlotte stood in a corner, still rehearsing. After hearing the whole speech, Charlotte had convinced him to cut parts out and edit others, and they were almost done. She felt proud of herself, having helped the celebrant with his speech, and was just running over it to make sure it went smoothly.

Pirel came up and greeted them, shaking Data's hand and nodding at Charlotte. "Is this her?"

"Yes. Captain Pirel, this is Charlotte Hope. Charlotte, Captain Pirel of the Great Flight."

"Nice to meet you," Charlotte said, shaking his hand.

"I must say it is a pleasure to meet such a special friend of Captain Data's. Perhaps we could talk after the wedding?"

"Ok," she answered, raising her eyebrows. She had no idea where this was all coming from, but she was sure Data would explain it later. She turned to Data. "I think you should start soon. Everyone's here."

Data nodded and stepped up to the front of the room, and the ceremony began.

* * *

Captain Pirel left after the reception, stuffed with cake, wine and good wishes, and after the bride and groom had retreated to the holodeck for their honeymoon, Data walked Charlotte to her quarters, arm in arm.

"Well, that was a very good day, I think," she commented as they reached her door. "And I like your friend. He was very straightforward, but his curiosity becomes him. He was particularly interested in the fact that we've been together for so long, despite the fact that you didn't have emotions at the start."

"Many people seem to think love for an android is a difficult concept, I believe," answered Data, stopping outside the door. "They regard B4 and myself as machinery, not as people. I found this to be especially true at the Academy."

"So did I. I didn't tell many people about my relationship with you, and those I did tell constantly asked me how I could be so faithful to a machine. Captain Pirel expressed the same sentiments, but he was quite open-minded when I explained." She keyed in her code and turned to face him. "Thanks for walking me."

"What did you say?"

"What?"

Data cocked his head. "How did you answer Captain Pirel's question?"

Charlotte smiled, leaned forward, and planted her lips firmly on his. To her surprise and delight, he immediately kissed her back.

It was only when she heard the dootsteps of someone approaching that she realised kissing the captain in the corridor, a public place, probably wasn't the best idea, and she pulled away and ducked inside her room with a hurried 'goodnight'.

"You have not answered-" Data called out, but the doors had closed. He stood outside for a few moments, then decided to leave; knowing her temperament, he knew that he would not get an answer tonight.

He did, however, have a rather nice memory to reflect on.

* * *

**(giggles) I like writing scenes like this. Sadly, i only have a few more chapters left of this story, but for me the last ones will be the most exciting of all (hint hint). What could possibly happen that's so exciting? Any guesses?**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Sorry for the delay, internet troubles and whatnot. Also I feel writers block coming on, but i'll try to push through it. Please r/r. Standard disclaimers.**_

* * *

Data was 'rewatching' the day's events in his mind when B4 came in. He had done well as celebrant- the happy couple had assured him of that at the end of the ceremony. Of course, it had all been down to Charlotte's intervention and editing that he performed so well. She had been invaluable.

He reflected back on the reception- the food, the dancing, the general feeling of enjoyment by the crew. The couple had given him the first piece of the cake to thank him for his contribution; something he could not completely understand, since many others had contributed to the wedding and he had only been doing his duty. The food had been extremely good, and so had the dancing. He had danced one dance with the bride- he briefly gave thanks to Beverly Crusher for teaching him- and quite a few with Charlotte. She was quite a good dancer, too, and she had looked very aesthetically pleasing in that cerulean dress, although he had always preferred the purple one…

The older android paused for a moment, analysing his brother's face, head position and movement of eyes. "You are thinking of Charlotte Hope," he stated finally.

Data saved his train of thought, stored it, and turned to B4. "I am. How could you tell?"

"I have perceived you many times and can now determine whenever she occupies your thoughts."

"You are very observant. Where have you been?"

"Geordie LaForge required my presence to 'help him drink'. I believe he mistook me for you."

"Lt. Birch ordered the bar to serve 'real alcohol'. Perhaps Geordie is feeling it's affects."

"Is he still in Ten-Forward?"

"No, he is not. He also required my help to 'get him home'."

Data exchanged a look with his brother. "I am glad that neither you nor I feel the effects of alcohol. What did you think of the wedding?"

"I found it… fascinating."

"Perhaps you should research wedding customs- there are many worlds which have very interesting customs. For example, the Klingons…"

AS Data continued to talk, B4 wandered over to Spot, who had just woken up, and began to mechanically stroke her, and action that sometimes aided him to gather his scattered thoughts into logical conclusions. "What is the purpose… of marriage?" he interrupted slowly.

For Data, the answer came from a meeting long ago. "Marriage is an agreement to share who you are with someone you love and care for, to spend your lives together, to grow old together."

B4 nodded, the cogs turning in his positronic brain. "Someone you love… care for…" He held up Spot, who meowed in protest. "You care for Spot."

"Yes I do, but I would not marry Spot. Love for a pet is not the same as the romantic love that would move one to matrimony."

"You love Charlotte."

Data paused, his mind slowing as he mulled over what his brother had said. "B4," he said slowly.

The other android looked up, face blank, completely unaware of what he had done. "Yes, brother?"

"I believe it is time to feed Spot. Would you do that, please?"

B4 lowered the cat from his lap and headed for the replicator, and Data turned to his computer, ready to input a command before stopping to check his inbuilt chronometer. It was late, and Deanna would most likely be asleep, wherever she was. Whatever he wanted to discuss with her could wait until morning. Instead, he decided to head up to the Bridge, if only to relieve the person currently on duty.

So after ascertaining that B4 would go to bed after he was finished with Spot (for lack of something better for his brother to do), he left.

* * *

Morning came. As officers replaced each other for the morning shift, Data left the Bridge and entered the Ready Room, quickly giving the computer a command and opening the PC. After a few minutes, the screen blinked on, the Starfleet crest replaced by a well-known face. "Data! What a pleasure to hear from you!"

"Councillor Riker." Data nodded to Deanna. "It is good to see you also. I called because I wish to consult you regarding a personal matter. Are you available?"

"I don't have a session until 1100 hours, so I'm pretty free. What is it?"

As Data began to talk, he noticed how Deanna's face changed from warm and welcoming to completely, over-the-moon excited. Her reply was hardly less so, and he spent some time listening to her glowing comments and equally professional advice in turns.

They talked for a long time, only stopping when her patient arrived for her session, and he promised to keep her updated. The meeting finished, he sat back, having reached a decision that would've taken an ordinary human weeks or even months to come to. Now, how to proceed?

He straightened up, sent a quick message to Captain Pirel, and called Geordie and Worf to the Ready Room.

* * *

_**I'm in the middle of the next chapter so hopefully it'll be up soon. Also, i've just discovered Little Mix and become obsessed with their song Wings. Check it out, and please r/r.**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ok, kinda random chapter, but there is a reason for it that will be explained in due time. Enjoy.**_

* * *

Charlotte had just fixed a minor problem on the Great Flight and was getting ready to leave when she was accosted by Captain Pirel. Having been expecting this, however, she wasn't surprised.

"Ah, here you are, Lieutenant. How are you this morning?"

"Very well, thank you, Captain." She pushed some hair out of her eyes and smiled. "And yourself? I hope your escapades last night didn't cause you any discomfort this morning?"

"Oh no, we Somelians have a much higher tolerance of alcohol than humans. I enjoyed myself immensely."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Lieutenant, if you have the time, I would be happy to show you the parts of the ship you haven't seen yet. Particularly the cargo bays, which are at this moment the exhibition halls of our artists."

"Oh…" Charlotte took out her tricorder and checked the chronometer. "I'd love to, but I'm still on duty, you know."

"I'm sure it'll be quite alright. We reach Mondaran 3 in a few days, and time is running out…"

"Well…" She thought for a moment, biting her lip. "I suppose." She smiled and put away the tricorder. "Alright."

They started off down the corridor and were soon walking through the first bay. Gonji looked up, spied the girl, and beckoned her over, hoping to make a sale. "Ah, ma'am, here we have some beautiful pieces…"

Charlotte looked over the exquisite jewellery and shook her head regretfully. "They're beautiful, but not for me, I'm afraid."

"Why ever not?" Pirel picked up a necklace and held it against her face. "This would suit you so well, and look how it makes your eyes sparkle…" Gonji handed over a mirror, and Charlotte peered into it almost longingly before turning away. "I don't think so."

"Is there any particular style that you would prefer?"

"Something small, not too showy, more delicate. But I hardly wear jewellery at all anyway."

"Delicate…" Pirel turned to Gonji. "Do you know where Spelsa has her stall?"

"She's in the next bay."

"Ah." He beamed at Charlotte. "Come with me."

Charlotte dutifully followed him out of the doors and into the next bay, where they found an old woman, her fingers as laden with rings as the table.

"Ah, Pirel, have you brought me a customer? Good boy!" The old lady smiled at them, and Charlotte found her toothless grin strangely disconcerting paired with her wrinkly green skin and depthless black eyes.

"Perhaps, mama, perhaps. She's looking for something delicate."

Spelsa's eyes crinkled with merriment. "In other words, something opposite to Jun's?"

Pirel looked mock-offended. "It was my first attempt. Do these hands look like jewellery-making hands to you?"

She laughed. "I know, I know, and Jun loves it all the same. I'm just teasing you, boy."

"I know, mama." Pirel turned to Charlotte, who was looking more than a little confused. "It is the custom of our people to, when we get married, create the rings ourselves. It adds a personal touch that can be found nowhere else. The ring I made for my wife is less than delicate-"

"More like a huge chunk of metal!" Spelsa interrupted.

"- but I know she appreciated it, although I suspect her of trying to adjust it herself." He looked meaningfully at Spelsa, who was trying to feign innocence and failing miserably.

"I know nothing."

"But anyway, I brought you to see Spelsa's craftsmanship. Although Gonji is the most sought-after jeweller on the planet, people always find their way to Spelsa before long. Just look at them."

Charlotte looked, and even though she had seen many beautiful things on that ship, it still took her breath away. Every ring was unique, and all of them were the most beautiful things she had ever seen. There were gems of every colour, size and shape, many-coloured metals that she had never known existed, and in the rings themselves were engraved with flowers, vines, designs, or words in minute details.

One ring in particular caught her attention, and she leaned forward for a better look. Spelsa motioned for her to pick it up, and she did. The originally purple stone changed to blue as soon as her hand touched it, and at her exhalation of surprise it turned to green.

"The stone changes colour at the change of temperature, most commonly by blowing on it."

"I see." Charlotte held it up to the light, marvelling at the metal work, and blew on it. The stone changed again, this time to red. "It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen."

A voice suddenly interrupted the mood. "LaForge to Lieutenant Hope. Are you done yet?"

Charlotte hurriedly set the ring down and tapped her badge. "I've just finished."

"Good, I need you up here now."

"On my way. Hope out."

* * *

As Charlotte and a few of her crewmates materialised back in the transporter room, she stepped down to allow Data onto the transporter pad. "Hi, Data. What are you doing?"

"I am going to visit Captain Pirel.

Was it just her, or did he look shifty? Nah, it was just her imagination. "Ok, well, have a good time."

He nodded and called to the man on the transporters: "Energise."

Charlotte watch him disappear in a blaze of blue light, and then followed the rest of her crewmates back to engineering.

* * *

_**Next chapter with hopefully be long and probably the last one. Probably. And keep watching this space, cuz excitement is coming!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**_Finally, chapter 12 is up! Sorry for the long wait everyone, I've had a bit of writers block. But hopefully I'll keep writing, and hopefully chapter 13 will be up soon._**

**_Disclaimers apply._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

Weeks passed. Mondaran 3 was reached without any significant problems, and Pirel expressed his heartfelt thanks to Data and the Enterprise for their help and hospitality. On the way to pick up Captain Picard, Data and Geordie spent much time on the holodeck with a program no-one else was allowed to see, and in 10-Forward and even on the Bridge in deep conversation.

Charlotte was happy to receive a call from Deanna, but she wondered about the Betazoid's probing questions and deliberately casual manner. In fact, all her friends seemed to be acting strangely. They kept glancing at her when they thought she wasn't looking, and Geordie was always smiling for no reason and constantly looked like he was keeping a huge secret and was bursting to tell, but wasn't allowed to. She had asked them about it more than once and with growing impatience, but no-one ever told her anything. In fact, they tried to assure her that nothing was going on, even though something obviously- and frustratingly- was.

The day the Captain Picard came back was a completely ordinary one. Charlotte met him in the corridor, laden with luggage, on her way to engineering, and they shook hands and exchanged a few words before going their separate ways.

Geordie was more than a little bouncy, and Charlotte was a having a hard time trying to ignore him. she had to stop herself from snapping at him several time during the day and thought about asking him what was going on, but she figure it would be pointless. He was happy and excited, and he wouldn't tell her why. Maybe it was none of her business. At the same time, she had a feeling that it was. Something was going to happen. She would just have to wait and see.

* * *

Wait and see she did, and her patience was rewarded when at the end of her shift, Geordie presented her with a package and informed her that Data was waiting for her on the holodeck. She took it, looking at him questioningly.

"Don't ask, just put it on," was his reply.

She left engineering and nearly ran to her quarters…

Geordie was congratulating himself when he got the comm. "Hope to LaForge!" The voice sounded brittle, like it was about to break.

"Yeah?"

"You better get over here!"

"Why?"

"Just do it!"

Geordie raised his eyebrows and exited engineering. In a few moments he was at her door and pressing the doorbell.

"Come in."

He entered and found Charlotte desperately trying to stretch the skirt of her dress. It took him a moment to register that this was his best friend's girlfriend, and he desperately stopped himself from whistling just in time. "Wow, Charlotte, you look-"

"Geordie, I can't wear this!" she wailed, cutting him off. She plucked at the fabric of the red bandage dress, trying to make it cling less, and covered the deep v-neck protectively with her arms when she caught him staring. "It's… it's… it's…"

"It's beautiful."

"It's inappropriate!" she cried, running to the bedroom, where there was a full-length mirror. After a moment, Geordie followed, and she grabbed her dressing gown and threw it over herself for a little more privacy. She took another look in the mirror and groaned. "You don't understand, Geordie, I've never worn anything like this before."

"But it looks so good-"

She glared at him. "I'm not an escort!"

He backed away. "I n-never suggested you were…" he stammered, taken aback at her vehemence.

"I'm sorry, Geords, but I had a sheltered life and my grandfather was very old-fashioned. If he had seen me wearing something like this, all the fancy medicines in the world couldn't stop the heart-attack it would've given him. Thank you anyway."

Shoulders slumping, Geordie nodded. "I can't make you wear it, I guess. I just thought he would like it." Brightening, he headed for her closet. "But if I might suggest something else…" he rummaged around for a few minutes before making a satisfied sound and holding up a deep purple gown with wide shoulders. "I happen to know he likes this one… a lot."

She smiled and took it from him. "Thanks, this is much better. Now shoo. I have a date to prepare for."

Geordie grinned and all but skipped out of the room, earning a laugh from Charlotte as she secured the door and began to get ready.

* * *

Out of breath, Charlotte arrived at the holodeck to find Data waiting for her, just as he always had, and suddenly realised that this was the first date they'd had in a long time. She felt a fluttering of nervousness and smiled at him, trying to squash it.

Data was in civvies for once- not a uniform, not a holodeck costume, but real proper civilian clothes. Charlotte glanced approvingly over his black trousers, button-up cream shirt and dinner jacket and idly wondered if Geordie had had anything to do with that, too.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, wondering how much Geordie had influence this date. "Geordie gave me something absolutely terrible to wear and I had to tell him off for it. So, where are we going?"

Data simply gave what she had affectionately dubbed 'the Mona-Data smile' and offered his arm, and they walked through the doors together.

* * *

The lake shimmered in the dusky twilight, and the birds called to each sleepily as they settled down for the night. A soft breeze whispered through the trees and rustled the reeds by the lake.

Charlotte turned from the window to the candle-lit table set for two, where Data had pulled out her chair and was waiting for her to sit down, and shook her head in wonder. Without a word, she sat down and watched him do the same.

There was silence, a strange, unbreakable silence that was neither awkward nor comfortable; then a man appeared with two platters and set them in front of the couple and just as quickly disappeared. They took off the covers and began to eat.

"So," she began a little while later when the man came back to pour some wine for them, "How much of this date is Geordie's idea?"

"Much of it," Data admitted. "Geordie and I have spent a long time putting this program together."

"Oh." She took a sip of wine. "And what's the occasion?"

"We have not been on a date since the closing of the rift. Circumstances have been difficult for both of us, but now it is over, I believe it is time for us to put the past behind us." He paused. "Besides, you initiated the relationship, and you always created the dates for us. I believe it is my turn."

Charlotte sighed and smiled a little, picking at her food. "You know, we've been together for such a long time I can't even remember when it started. And yet you still continue to surprise me."

Data cocked his head. "Is that good?"

"Yes. Well, I think so, anyway." She took a bite of lamb. "Mm, this lamb is good. Great choice."

They ate in silence for a while, before Data spoke again. "B4 seems to be progressing in his comprehension skills."

"Really?" Charlotte frowned in disbelief. "And here I was almost losing my temper at him about a fortnight or two ago because he wouldn't focus on the card game. Honestly, he acts so daft sometimes that I almost believe that he is."

"If you do not mind me saying so, you have been particularly emotional of late. Perhaps your reaction was because of your intolerance."

"Maybe." She sighed. "I have been pretty cranky and teary, haven't I?"

"Yes."

"Well, not anymore. I'm determined to get a hold of my emotions."

"I am glad."

"I bet you are. I've been such a burden on everyone, I can't believe you and Geordie still put up with me."

"It is understandable."

Charlotte sighed again. "I know you understand, but it doesn't stop me from feeling a little ashamed. I've been so selfish, and imposed myself on everyone around me. You're not selfish- I love you for that."

Data paused, staring at her as she sipped her wine. "Charlotte?"

"Mm?"

"Unless my memory files are faulty, I believe that was the first time you have ever said that you... love me."

The glass stopped at her lips, and her eyes widened. "What? Really?"

"Really."

"Wow." Charlotte put down her glass and sat up straight, many thoughts running through her head. As far as she could remember, he was telling the truth. She couldn't recall having ever told Data that she loved him. When she was younger, she had always been very affectionate. But now, nothing. _Does that make me a terrible person? Or has Data's emotionlessness influenced me?_

"I think…" she began slowly, "I think… spending time with you has kind of… I don't know… influenced me. You didn't have emotions, so you never showed affection. I was fine with that… I expected it… but I think I became less affectionate because of it. I was too shy to say it when I was younger, and then I felt no need to say it. But I do."

"You do what?"

She smiled. "I do love you, Data. Very much."

Data smiled also. "I am not accustomed to showing affection, even to you, but I believe… I believe I love you too."

Happy but a little embarrassed, Charlotte picked up her fork again, hoping that Data wouldn't notice the heat in her cheeks, and they continued the meal.

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**_Awwwwww, they're so cute together! I just love writing about them :)_**


	13. Chapter 13

_**And here it is- the last chapter! Finally finished it, with a lot of prodding from Tineyboppa. Thanks for all your support :) So read on for the conclusion of the second part of The Charlotte Files!**_

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The meal finished in much the same silence that it started with. Several time, Charlotte noticed Data make a move to speak, only to decide otherwise. If she hadn't known better, she would've thought he was nervous. But she did know better. Didn't she? _Of course I do_, she chided herself.

She straightened and emptied the last of the wine from her glass. "What now?"

Data hesitated. "Would you like dessert, or would you prefer to take a walk?"

"A walk might be nice, actually. I'd like to stretch my legs, and it looks pretty out there."

"Very well." Data rose and hurried to help her out of her chair. "Allow me."

_Wow, this is new._ She glanced curiously at his face as she got up, but he had made it unreadable. _I wonder what this is all about. _"Thanks."

Taking the arm offered, she let him lead her out the door and into the fresh, holographic night air.

Dusk had been replaced by moonlight, and the surface of the lake shimmered like it was alive. Birdsong had been replaced by crickets and frogs, and a soft breeze whispered and rustled the trees.

Charlotte breathed deeply and closed her eyes, savouring the breeze on her face and the sounds around her. Then she bent down and slowly removed her shoes.

"It's been so long. Feels good to be barefoot again." She opened her eyes and smiled serenely. "And the fresh air is so nice. I'd forgotten what the outdoors feels like. Maybe I should go to Earth more often, stay someplace like Alaska. Riker was always talking about it."

"Charlotte."

Something about his tone made Charlotte stop abruptly and turn around. "What is it?"

"Would you…" he began, then stopped, seemingly lost for words. "Do you wish to… ah…"

"Do I wish to… what?" _Is he nervous?_

Data glanced at a point just behind her. "Would you like to… go out in the boat?"

Charlotte whirled around to see a boat at the side of the lake. _Honestly, all this fuss. What the heck is he so nervous about? _"Sure."

They approached the boat, and Data made a move to help her in, but she refused his hand. "I love you to bits, but seriously, I_ can_ do some things myself, you know."

"Geordie emphasised the need to be courteous."

"Yes, but not to the extent that you're doing everything for me." She turned around and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before clambering into the boat. "Thanks anyway."

If Data had had a blood supply, Charlotte fancied that he might've blushed. As it was, the look on his face was adorable enough, and she had to resist the urge to kiss him again. Instead, she settled down in her seat as Data pushed the boat into the water and jumped in. She handed him the oars, and he worked the boat away from the shore.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the pleasure of their surroundings and each other's company. Then, Charlotte stirred, breaking the silence. "Can I have a go at the oars?"

Data moved over, and she took her place next to him and took an oar. They slipped into silence again, having nothing to say, or not wanting to.

Finally, Charlotte leaned back and stared up at the moon. "It's beautiful, isn't it? You really must've worked hard on this one. Or did Geordie help you with this, too?"

Data leaned forward. "Do you think me incapable?"

"No, but Geordie has a strong influence on you whenever he can. And you know how he can't keep his nose out of our business for long."

"You are right, but this program was, for the most part, all my own doing. I specifically chose elements of different simulations that I knew you would appreciate. From your reactions so far, I believe I have succeeded."

"Oh yes you did, Data. Yes, you certainly did." She closed her eyes and smiled. "You even included wind. I'm impressed that you know me so well. It's just so… beautiful."

"I, too, find it aesthetically pleasing." Data paused, before adding, "As I do you."

Charlotte's eyes flew open, pink tinging her cheeks. "Compliments now! You are the charmer tonight."

"I speak only the truth."

"Well, thank you. Geordie did say you like this dress." She rested her chin on her hand. "He's been acting so strange, lately. He's… I dunno… sort of bouncy. Like he knows a secret and he's bursting to tell. Or like a kid who knows something exciting's going to happen. Maybe he's expecting a promotion. Have you heard anything?"

"No. Charlotte, may I speak with you about something?"

"We _are_ speaking about something." She spoke nonchalantly, but Charlotte could tell there was something serious on Data's mind; his ramrod straight posture confirmed that he was too preoccupied to pretend to relax. Not only that, but he was definitely more nervous than he was before. Guiltily, she added, "Sorry, that was rude. Go ahead."

He nodded. "I have been thinking about your actions during the incident with Shinzon."

Charlotte's face fell at the mention of the name. Although it had been many months, she was still recovering from the loss of the girl whom she had affectionately called her twin. She wondered what Data could possibly have to talk about regarding that time. "Oh?"

"You made a device with parts of our own technology from another reality. A device that would cut through the interference and transport you over to the ship, where you would take my place and destroy the weapon."

"Yes?" Charlotte had no desire to relive that time, or the time after. "I know what I did. What's your point?"

Data leaned forward, holding her eyes with his earnest gaze. "You were willing to die to save my life."

She dropped her oar and turned to face him fully. "And so was she. The only difference is, she did it instead of me. If she hadn't, I would've died, and you would be having this conversation with her. What is your point?"

"If not for your discovery of the porthole from which you came, she would be dead. And if she hadn't died, I do not believe she could've accomplished the same result as you did. You and your actions are unique, Charlotte."

Charlotte began rowing again, forcing Data to join in. "So what are you saying, that I'm better than my counterpart? I still don't understand what you're getting at."

"I am simply saying that I greatly appreciate your efforts."

She slowed down. "Oh. Well… you're welcome."

They plunged once again into silence, both contemplating the other. The little boat soon reached the opposite shore, and Data turned it around at Charlotte's heeding. They glided smoothly through the water.

Charlotte began to feel strangely uncomfortable, and trying to add a little something, commented, "We pull pretty well together, don't we?"

Data reflected on her comment, and decided that this was the time. "So well that I wish we might always pull in the same boat," he replied quietly, circuits buzzing.

"What?" She dropped the oars again and shifted position so that she could look at him head on. "What did you say?"

Data put his oars down carefully and faced her. "A comment B4 made after the wedding made me think about us. He wished to know the purpose of marriage, and I told him it is an agreement to share who you are with someone you love and care for; a vow to spend the rest of your lives together."

Charlotte moved back to her original spot in front of the android and leaned forward, a strange feeling in her stomach. "And? What did he say?"

"He simply brought to my attention my feelings for you." Data reached into a hidden pocket and brought out something she couldn't see, then leaned forward and took her hand. Turning it over, he placed the small item squarely in her palm. "I love you, Charlotte. I love you with every part of my programing. You loved me and put up with me even when you knew I could not love you back, and you were willing to die to ensure my survival. I cannot think of anyone else I would rather spend the rest of my life with."

She gawked at him, then glanced down at her hand. Her eyes widened.

Resting on her palm, shining in the moonlight, was a ring.

She looked back up at him, hardly able to comprehend what was happening.

Data closed her hand and brought it to his lips, staring into her eyes. "Charlotte, will you marry me?"

For the longest time, the neither moved nor uttered a sound. As the full meaning of what he had said sunk in, Charlotte was seized by a ridiculous feeling of joy. She leaped up and threw her arms around Data, ready to give him an answer. But her actions were too much for the poor little boat, and instead of romantically toppling into each other's arms, they rather unromantically toppled into the lake instead.

Fighting her way to the surface, Charlotte coughed, spluttered, and looked around in bewilderment for Data. He surfaced a moment later with the sound of air filling a balloon. With that, Charlotte began to laugh. She laughed and laughed, and grabbed hold of him so as not to be dragged down by her long dress. Data began to laugh as well, not a cheap imitation of others' laughter, but real laughing, something he rarely ever did.

The moon shone down, and the couple held each other, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation, as well as with their joy and happiness of the recent decisions they had made. Never could they have believed that their past would lead them here. And now they had something to look forward to: a guaranteed future together. Forever.

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_**I can't believe i'm finished this fic! But don't think that the story is over for Charlotte and Data, oh no. There's more to come, so watch this space for the third part of The Charlotte Files, which begins with her wedding preparations and some intervention from the annoying life form we all love, Q! Don't go away, and whatever you do, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**_

_**Love y'all!**_


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